Frustrations Involving Install Windows 7

Hi I'm having major issues trying to install windows 7 and I desperately require some assistance.

I have an hp dv4-1275mx, running vista 64bit sp2. I originally bought a copy of windows 7 home premium from digital river to do the upgrade. I ran the upgrade advisor and took care of any confilicts, although the original hp software that came with the laptop always gets flagged by the advisor. Before the install I have flashed the bios to the latest setting and done all the other windows vista upgrades. Also I have removed the hp recovery partition.

Now I am attempting to do a clean install of win 7. When I run the disk for installation, it goes through the 1st stage of copying files no problem.

The second stage of expanding files, is the hitch. It goes to 20% and then restarts. Upon restarting a secondary window flickers over the win 7 progress installation screen. The flickering window says "To install or upgrade windows you must run Windows installation. Are you sure you want to cancel windows installation. yes or no" Now this flickers until the expanding files reaches about 24%. I get to about 45%, and then it restarts.

Upon restart I see Windows Vista rollback. And it rolls me back to Vista informing me that windows 7 installation was not successful.

I get the same result trying to create an iso image and try and do the install from the flash drive.

Additionally, when I try and boot the system from the disc itself, I see the win 7 logo and then you are supposed to see a selection screen for the language you want to use, but I don't even see that, it flashes on the screen so quickly that I cant do anything and then restarts the laptop.

I have talked to MS support at nausem and they suggested I flip my ram modules around (didnt work), I have wiped my hard drive clean, (no success), and even waited 30 days for another disc to come to me (they thought the original disc I had was corrupted) but the same things are happening. I made my original purchase back in Jan 2010, and now it is april and no windows 7.

Also I didnt qualify for the free upgrade from hp because I bought my laptop in march 09.

HP support is useless as they said they would only support me for issues pertaining to vista. What a joke!!. Anyway any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Dom

Did you try running a Custom install (not Upgrade) from Vista? This sometimes works because in-place Upgrade is blocked by incompatibility issues, but drivers are furnished that are needed from Vista.

In BIOS setup, what is the SATA controller setting? Try AHCI first, then IDE if necessary.

Test your RAM using memtest86 bootable CD overnight. Run the full CD scan of your maker's HD diagnostics/repair tool: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

gregrocker said:

Did you try running a Custom install (not Upgrade) from Vista? This sometimes works because in-place Upgrade is blocked by incompatibility issues, but drivers are furnished that are needed from Vista.

In BIOS setup, what is the SATA controller setting? Try AHCI first, then IDE if necessary.

Test your RAM using memtest86 bootable CD overnight. Run the full CD scan of your maker's HD diagnostics/repair tool: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Hi gregrocker, I'm running a custom install. I have tried doing an upgrade as well, but still unsuccessful. 99.9 % of the attempts to install win 7 have been done by custom install. This is the method that MS support has suggested I try, but I'm still not getting anywhere with it.

I have heard the suggestion of getting to the SATA controller setting in the BIOS, but I don't see it anywhere in the BIOS setup. When I go into my BIOS this is all that I see

Main
System Time
System Date

Security
Admin Password
Power on Password

Diagnostics
Hard Disk Test
Memory Test

System Config
Language
Button Sound
Virtualization Technology
card Reader
FAn
Boot Options
CD/ROM Boot Enabled
Floppy Boot Enabled
Boot Order
Internal Network Adpater Boot Disabled

Since I have not been able to find an option in the BIOS to control the SATA controller setting, I called HP support who informed me that by default SATA is set to on, and there is no way to disable it. So I don't know how to go further that this point

I have flashed my BIOS to the latest version (F.54.)

I have run the mem test from the computer startup (which is the memtest) and it checks out ok. I have not run the mem test you suggested. Also I am having trouble determining the manufacuter of the hard drive in my laptop so I am unsure of what drive utility to use when I go to the site you suggested. In light of this new info I have provided could you please suggest an further course of action. Thankyou.

Cheers,

D

Ztruker said:

How did you create your Win 7 install DVD? Are you sure it's good?

If you still have the downloaded iso, I would recommend using ImgBurn at 4X to create another DVD and let it Verify the DVD when it's done.

Try a new install using the new DVD.

Hey ztrucker, I got my win7 disk from digital river and it is an authentic MS win 7 disc. With all the problems I initally encountered the MS support suggested the disc I had might be corrupted so they sent me another authentic MS win 7 disc. I put it in to run the custom install and I experienced the exact same problems. So somehow I doubt I would get two corrupted win 7 discs.

With respect to the ISO, I was able to download and ISO version of the win7 from digital river, and I used the MS usb download/burn tools that MS support suggested when I was on the phone with them to create a new disc, but that resulted in the same problems as using the orginal disc.

Something is conflicting and I question whether I should remove every shred of HP software that orignially came with my laptop and it might be conflicting.

Additionally when I try to boot the laptop with either the authentic win 7 disc or the disc I created from the iso file, it wont even load to the installer, it loads and when it comes to selecting the language for installtion it just reboots the laptop.

Frustration is at an all time high. Any suggestions please.

THanks,

D

What I do when I have tried everything and don't want to waste any more time with troubleshooting is remove the HD from problem computer, place into another computer to complete the Win7 install, then return it to the problem computer. If it will start, it will swap out all the drivers (quite a show - requires several restarts) and run fine in my experience. Others have tried it and not had the same luck, however.

In your case, when you place HD in second computer, I would go to Device manager and Google the device name (usually a serial) for your HD in Device Manager, then run the full HD Diagnostics repair scan for that make which I posted link to earlier. Then use the menu option (if given) to zero the HD before install.

Can you please confirm that the Laptop is an English version and that you are trying to install Win7 also English and you downloaded the ISO from a English MS Webite

try with 2g of ram.

Take a look at these posts:

https://www.sevenforums.com/installat...-problems.html
Tutorial quick reference list for Installing Windows 7
Questions to use for help with Installation Issues
Clean Install Windows 7
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

caretaker said:

Can you please confirm that the Laptop is an English version and that you are trying to install Win7 also English and you downloaded the ISO from a English MS Webite

Hi Caretaker, I can confirm that the laptop (hp dv4-1275mx) is english version, and that the Win 7 I'm trying to install is english. The iso I downloaded was from Digital River and not the MS website. However, I have also created an iso image from the authentic win7 dvd that I revieved in the mail.

Thanks

D